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Biography and Education

Sayyid Muhammad Muhaqqiq Damad was born in 1325/1907 in Ahmad Abad, a village near to Ardakan in Yazd province, Iran. Before his birth, his father passed away on his journey to Iraq to visit the holy shrines in Iraq. Sayyid Muhammad lost his mother when he was 6 as well. After passing primary studies in Ardakan, he went to Yazd. In the seminary of Yazd, he studied under Sayyid Ahmad Mudarrisi, Haj Sayyid Yahya Wa'iz and Sayyid Muhammad Ali Rida Ha'iri. After 9 years staying in Yazd and at the recommendation of Shaykh Ghulam Rida Yazdi, in 1341/1922-23 he moved to Qom, where he participated in the sessions of the great scholars of Hazwa such as Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Khwansari, Sayyid Muhammad Hujjat Kuhkamara'i and 'Abd al-Karim Ha'iri. He drew the attention of Shaykh 'Abd al-Karim Ha'iri and married the daughter of Ayatullah Ha'iri and was titled as Damad (meaning son-in-law of 'Abd al-Karim Ha'iri).

Teaching

After the demise of Shaykh 'Abd al-Karim Ha'iri in 1355//1937, the teaching sessions of Sayyid Muhammad Muhaqqiq, who was a young scholar in Hawza, gained popularity. During the Marja'iyya of Ayatullah Burujirdi, Muhaqqiq Damad and Shaykh Murtada Ha'iri Yazdi were among those who gave students of Hawza oral exams. During three decades of teaching in Hawza, he trained great scholars who later became Marja's or important figures in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Transcript of his sessions on Taharat and Usul, by Ayatullah Tahiri Isfahani.

Transcript of his sessions on Salat by Ayatullah Mu'min.

Political Activities

According to Ayatullah Jawadi Amuli, although Muhaqqiq Damad believed in concomitance of religion and politic, he did not get involved in any non-scholarly activities, rather he dedicated all his time for teaching and studying. The only political event that he took part in was opposing the Bill of State and Provincial Associations.